Fowl times in Baldwin City

A rare downtown appearance by a chicken last week and the discovery of a peacock roosting in the 900 block of Lincoln over the weekend make it very clear. There's something afoul in Baldwin City.

It was just after high noon last Wednesday when the chicken made his appearance in the 600 block of High Street. There was a crew of about four people trying to capture it. They chased it through the street, around parked cars and into the alley before finally finding success.

"Yes, we did catch it," said Tina Rakes, city building inspector who was involved in the feathery fun. "We followed it into the alley and it went behind some dumpsters. It went into the back of Dave's Auto Shop. We shut the door. We still had some chasing to do. We finally got it by throwing a coat over it.

"I think the chicken was having more fun with us than we were with it," she said. "It was a hoot. That was kind of fun to get out of the office and chase a chicken.

So, it begs the question. Why did the chicken cross the road?

"I've been e-mailing about it with my dad and he said the chicken couldn't cross the road because the Baldwin City inspector wouldn't let it," said Rakes. "We've been having some fun with it. I told him we've quit eating eggs until the whole thing blows over."

But, actually, there is an answer to why the chicken was in downtown Baldwin. Rakes was working with Andy Schrock.

"It was his chicken," she said. "We were working on a project and he had to go to the house to get something. When he came back, the chicken was in the back of his truck."

And, of course, the chicken didn't stay in the truck, but instead hopped out and started taking in the sights and sounds of downtown. That's when the posse formed.

"We didn't have to go out there, but one man isn't going to catch a chicken in the road," Rakes said.

As for the peacock, it's still a mystery. It just showed up Sunday night to roost in a tree. Neighbors are hoping that whoever is mssing a peacock will come get it. Meanwhile, it's being enjoyed.

"It's not every day you have a peacock walking down the street," said Ruth Payne.